3/30/20

Ending March In Baby Pink...Blue-Green-Yellow-Purple

Baby Blankets have been made on my sewing machine, embroidery machine, quilting machine, knitting machine and crochet needles.  They have been made with quilting cottons, flannel, fleece and stitched with quilting threads, embroidery threads and embellished with buttons, beads and more.

The recipients include my grandchildren, nieces, nephews, charity groups and the babies of those who have purchased them in my shop.

So, as you might imagine, I have quite a collection of all things 'Baby' including a Baby Pattern Binder.  The baby shown in the photo is from one of my collected publications Patons Baby Choice...Paton's Wikipedia history.

Patons was founded in England in the early 1800's and produced yarns for commercial knitting machines.  Through a merge in 1920 they diversified to producing wool for home knitters and publishing knitting pattern booklets.

My Baby Choice booklet has it's original price sticker from Stedmans...a Canadian variety discount department store.  Published in 1981...Stedmans sticker price $4.25...on Amazon in 2020 $6.99 to $9.95.  Needless to say "You've Come A Long Way Baby" from England to Canada to Texas.

And from Knitting Needles to Ridgid Heddles 
I used Paton's crocheted blanket pattern 5 as a reference for my woven blanket.   My Ridgid Heddle Loom is limited in width, so I will use the Baby Choice pattern 5's crocheted border to size the blanket to fit a crib.
For next generation of babies from their Great Grandmother and Great Aunt.

3/26/20

Garage Makeover...New Loom Room

Over the years the garage has been a parking space for about everything except a vehicle.  It has also been a source of contention as a trap/catchall for overflow from one Studio or the other.  Both of the people in our household can take just so much of a chaotic overflow before a major cleanout becomes necessary.  That cleanout happened last month....just in time for another makeover.
Due to the...hopefully...temporary closing of Sue's Fiber Arts Studio at the Chicken Farm Art Center, any weaving done on Sparrow was going to be done at home.  It will work out for the best as Sparrow and all her weaving supplies and tools took up valuable display space at Studio #10.  A big regret will be not being able to demonstrate weaving to visitors who come to the Chicken Farm.
I don't know how long the 'Work From Home' will last or if a 'Shelter In Place' will become mandatory or if Sue's Fiber Arts Studio #10 at The Chicken Farm Art Center will get to re-open, but at least 'The Sparrow' has landed in her New Loom Room. 
And she has two New Spring Aprons!
(take up fabric on roller)

3/23/20

Making It Monday...Off the Top of My Head

The AtoZ Challenge begins on April 1st.  This year will be my 7th year to participate.  It would have been 8 years, but I missed 2017...I don't remember why.

Every year I think I've run out of ideas for a theme, but somehow I manage to scrape together enough photos and ideas to fill the month with posts that relate to a Theme.
I must admit...if not for the unexpected time off (COVID-19 Pandemic) 2020 AtoZ would not have been possible.  With that said, instead of flying by the seat of my pandemic pants...my posts will have to come 'Off the Top of My Head'.  As in years past I try to keep a week or so ahead.

Photo Hints for April 1 - 4 'Off the Top of My Head' 
Like I said...it's Off the Top of My Head with No Rhyme or Reason!
 
Still time to Sign Up
Join the Challenge...HERE

3/21/20

My Sign for The Times

Sorry Ya'll...SFAS is CLOSED😕for the time being!
~I will be following the 'Texas Declarations for Staying Safe'..staying🏡, washing hands, tryyyying not touching my face 🤔, and all the rest.
~Sorry no 'Take Out'~Drive Thru~Delivery' of Yarn🐑, Bags👜, Shawls👘, Woven Runners, etc.
~BUT, these days you may need a Microwave Bowl Cozie....call me...325-277-9940...curb side pickup.😷🙂

Now that the Official Closed Announcement has been made on Facebook, I will be getting busy making more Bowl Cozies.  I always have an assembly line stack ready to sew. 

Who knew they would become a best seller in my shop...not me...I started making them out of necessity...tired of grabbing a T-towel or too small potholder to take a HOT bowl/dish out of the microwave.

Speaking of Home Studio...it has expanded...again!  Partly due to the 'Do The Fivers' and mostly because times have changed so much for 'Brick & Mortar' shops...especially for Artisans.

Keeping 9 to 5 daily shop hours for shoppers that don't necessarily shop 'Specialty Shops' has shop keepers like me making decisions to fit the 'Times'.  For me that means 'Shop Weekend Hours' and more 'Home Studio' time.

I'm good with the 'Stay Home' 'Work From Home declarations!  I love my Sewing Machine, Ridgid Heddle and Floor Looms, Fabric and Yarn Stashes, Ashford Traveler Spinning Wheel and baskets of Wool Fibers.  I will have no problem with Staying Home. 
Signing Off as...OverDoSue Working From Home!

PS...Want a perspective on how COVID-19 affects society now and in the future history books?
Here's Wendy's Sign of the Times....Popular Trending COVID-19

3/17/20

A Wee Bit Irish


A few years ago I spit in a tube and sent it off to a DNA project on ancestry.com.  What a surprise to find out I am 29% Irish.  As they say in ancestry.com ads, "I had no idea". 

Really, 29% is a wee bit more than 'A Wee Bit Irish', and again to quote the 'Ad'..."I wanted to know more". 

The search began on my ancestry DNA Story with two family names.  Both from my father's maternal line.

It starts with my Great Grandmother Martha Jane Marley Carroll and her Mother, Mary Josephine Leatherwood Marley.  Neither of the names Carroll or Leatherwood to my ear had a ring of Irish.  As it turns out the Leatherwood line lead through at least five great grandmothers maiden names to reach an Irish descendent.  That's the 'Wee Bit Irish' DNA accounting.

Carroll, which is my father's middle name and the last name of his grandfather Stephen Bennett Carroll, lead to a 'Whole Lot More Irish'.
  Read HERE about my 6th Great Grandfather...born on Saint Patricks Day in Limerick, Ireland.
The Irish say...
May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine on your windowpane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
Wannabe Irish/Scottish? 
Just Share the Blessings!
His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer.  One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog.  He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.  There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself.  Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.
 
The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings.  an elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.  "I want to repay you," said the nobleman.  "You saved my son's life."
 
No, I can't accept payment for what I did, the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer.  At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel.  "Is that your son?" the nobleman asked.  "Yes," the farmer replied proudly.  "I'll make you a deal.  Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy.  If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of."  And that he did.
 
Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.
 
Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.  What saved his life this time?  Penicillin.  The name of the nobleman?  Lord Randolph Churchill...His son's name?  Sir Winston Churchill.
Pass it on...Happy Saint Patricks Day!

3/16/20

2020 AtoZ Theme Reveal

April...they say...brings April Showers which in turn bring May flowers. 
 April...it is known world wide...also brings The AtoZ Challenge.
With a wide range of categories, the Challenge brings bloggers from authors to zylophonics to participate in the month long event.  
 
I've been participating since 2012, so you can imagine I've pretty much run the gambit of topics from stuff I know a lot about to stuff I think I know a little about and make up the rest.  One constant in all the topics/themes I've done over the years is 'Photos'. 
 So, once again they will play a part in my theme...
Join the Challenge...HERE

3/15/20

March Breaks...Planned and Un-Planned

On February 26th I decided to take a 'Winter Break' from opening my Shop.  It was a good move as traffic at The Chicken Farm was slow...typical for the winter months.  As you can see by my announcement on Facebook...I was busy 'Overdoing' at my Home Studio. 
True to my word and plan I was back on First Saturday, March 7th.  It was a windy day...true to March, but it was warm and the traffic/crowd/shoppers turned out in numbers that made the day worth being there.  There was however, the looming/impending feeling of what could be one of the last days of being part of a large crowd.  Sure enough the following week Texas joined the nation in announcing a State Emergency due to COVID-19.
Guess I'll be taking a 'Spring Break'!!!

3/2/20

First Monday In March...Old Art

I know it's Old Art...the sign says so!

I walk by this corner nearly everyday when I check the mail.  On this particular day the light on the Century Plant caught my eye.  Out came my phone from my back pocket!  Amazing what the eye of the camera catches that is missed by the naked eye...except I had on specs...not quite naked!
Do you see more than rust and old wood?
Good!
Art is in the eye of the beholder...or the holder of the eye!